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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28146558">The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/GaleWrites/pseuds/GaleWrites'>GaleWrites</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Blue Castle - L. M. Montgomery</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Family Dinner, Georgiana grows a spine, Pregnancy, Regional differences, Scandalizing the Family</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 16:27:22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,318</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28146558</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/GaleWrites/pseuds/GaleWrites</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Valancy has a surprise for the family when she and Barney return from their 'honeymoon'.  The family is... unnerved</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Barney Snaith/Valancy Stirling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>62</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Yuletide 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dragonbat/gifts">Dragonbat</a>.</li>



    </ul></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It was strange, how easily Valancy and Barney had fallen back into the world and family life, after they returned from their extended vacation. Valancy had burned all of her bridges so thoroughly during her ‘last year’, and yet the discovery that she’d married a millionaire and not, in fact, a criminal, repaired them so rapidly it had made her head spin. Barney had scoffed good naturedly at them, but he had also taken a bit of a shine to Uncle Benjamin since he’d so tidily helped them reconcile.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Redferns as well, had reacted to Barney’s return to family life like he’d never truly left. His father had gave them a truly ridiculous amount of money as a belated wedding present, when they’d refused his offer to throw them a ‘proper wedding’, and had only laughed and requested they write more frequently when they had immediately decided to travel the world. Barney was still a bit bitter about his father’s cluelessness, but Valancy took to him immediately, and he likewise seemed to adore his daughter in law. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Despite both family’s efforts to ‘loosen up’ and embrace their strange but beloved children, some things were still Too Far, especially for the chronically uptight Stirlings. Especially, it seemed, returning home from Europe hugely pregnant with what she had been told were twins. The whole Stirling clan had gotten together to celebrate their return home, and had been generally thunderstruck when they saw the state of her</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, Valancy, congratulations” Cousin Georgiana had told her tearfully. Georgiana was, as the only one who had stood by her through what the family now referred to as Valancy’s ‘difficult year’, the only one they had told about the babies. She had made sure there was supplies for the children and for Valancy’s Interesting Condition in the house on the island when they’d returned, with the help of a very bemused Abel Gay.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you mean to tell me you travelled all across Europe in this condition?” Her mother had demanded. Valancy was uncertain whether the idea of travelling while pregnant or of having not told her mother in advance was more upsetting to her. Looking at all of her family now, Valancy did rather regret not at least having said something in the letter informing them she was coming back to Canada and planning to see them. It had been harder than expected to get into the habit of telling them about her life, now that they were trying to accept it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And why not?” Barney asked with a laugh. “How many babies can say they were born having already been to so many wonderful places?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But…” Aunt Wellington replied entreatingly. “You were at least careful to avoid too much excitement, for the baby’s sake?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Valancy smiled at her husband. “I followed the advice of the best doctors we could find. Barney insisted I have them.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, at least he knows something of his responsibilities of a father.” Uncle Benjamin mumbled. Valancy thought he wasn’t sure how much of a big deal he wanted to make about the whole affair, judging by the furtive way he was looking between her and her mother.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Barney wrapped an arm around her and beamed. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for my Moonlight or our little ones.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, that’s real sweet. Congratulations, both of you. You’re going to be wonderful parents” Uncle Herbert told them, while everyone else was momentarily thunderstruck by the casual display of ‘unseemly’ public affection. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Valancy smiled at him. “Thank you, Uncle Herbert.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>The simple exchange seemed to have defused the situation for the moment, and Valancy and Barney were free to find a seat at the table and settle into the comfortable small talk among the family, talking about Olive’s upcoming wedding and Aunt Gladys’ neuritis. All was proceeding normally and peacefully until Valancy quietly asked the maid for a glass of wine. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You can’t mean to be drinking? You’ll addle the baby!” Aunt Wellington scolded</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Valancy looked at her in genuine shock. She had been so well ‘protected’ from the details of pregnancy that it had never occurred to her that Canadian sensibilities in this matter might be so different than European ones. “Aunt Wellington, I have very strict orders to have one glass of red wine every night, to ensure the baby is healthy and does not inherit my heart trouble.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Who on earth would give a woman in Your Condition an order like that?” Valancy’s mother asked, half demanding and half begging.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The doctors, of course.” Barney replied, frowning at Mrs. Frederick. “One glass a day, not enough to affect her mind but enough to warm and strengthen her spirit.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ah, well, this is what comes of gadding about all manner of indecent foreign places.” Aunt Wellington said dismissively. “You must come along and see Dr. Marsh in the morning, he’ll set you right.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I really don’t think that’s necessary.” Valancy replied firmly. “I am very well taken care of.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ah, but Doss, you remember what happened the last time you listened to a strange doctor instead of Dr. Marsh…” Cousin Stickles ventured nervously.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s blindly believing the first doctor that was the problem.” Barney scowled. “Dr. Marsh isn’t better than all the doctors in Europe.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well… No. But they might not know how to handle a proper Canadian woman.” Cousin Alberta spoke up. “Lifestyle and temperament make such a difference on that sort of matter. It wouldn’t hurt you to talk to Dr. Marsh.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Valancy and Barney looked at each other for a moment. “I don’t see what it could hurt, I suppose.” Valancy agreed. “But if he argues, I won’t hesitate to get as many Canadian opinions as I did European ones. To get a truly accurate picture.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Must be nice to have the money to do that.” Olive grumbled. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Aunt Wellington gave her a cutting look, and dinner moved on, Valancy getting her wine with only a few more sour looks.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This time, they got all the way to dessert before Valancy scandalized the group again by letting it be known that they were staying in the cabin in Muskoka until the birth. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I was told to avoid any unnecessary strain and to take care to stay somewhere with beautiful, happy things.” Valancy informed them. “No place on earth fits that better than my Castle. Most of you haven’t even been there, how would you know how suitable it is?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Very well then, you should have us over for dinner sometime.” Cousin Stickles suggested. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We don’t have room for all of you.” Barney protested. “It is a small cabin.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s quite lovely.” Cousin Georgiana piped up tentatively. “I think it would be a beautiful place to spend a Confinement”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Everyone stopped and stared at her. Being ‘Valancy’s favorite’ had done wonders for her status in the clan, and no one knew quite how to react to her these days. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’ve never had a child, how would you know anything about it?” Valency’s mother sniffed. “She needs to be somewhere with women to help her. Being all alone out there with a man in her condition is indecent.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nothing between a woman and her husband should be indecent.” Valancy replied cooly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And of course, it isn’t.” Barney insisted. “We can hire a girl to come out and help us, while she’s laid up.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I would be willing. There’s no need to hire someone when there’s kin nearby.” Cousin Georgiana said, seeming surprised at herself.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Valancy smiled. “I would be delighted to have you, but we will still pay you. It’s good for a woman to be able to make money for herself.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Georgiana smiled back, ignoring the apprehensive looks the rest of the family traded. Everyone at that table was comparing Georgiana’s snap decision with Valancy’s choice to go tend to Cissy Gay, none moreso than Georgiana herself. Things might be finally coming around for her.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I just wanted you to know that I matched with you on Anne and Emelan but your comments about the Blue Castle inspired me to read it and write this instead. Thanks for the accidental book recommendation!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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